AL.com was recognized with 54 awards at the 2025 Alabama Press Association Media Awards ceremony on Saturday.

Investigative reporter Savannah Tryens-Fernandes won Story of the Year for her 2024 reporting on Alabama’s health care deserts.

Alabama routinely routinely ranks at or near the bottom in health outcomes among states. In her series, Tryens-Fernandes reported that the situation continues to become more dire, particularly in rural Alabama. Her reporting highlighted shortages of pediatricians, dentists, ambulances and pharmacies.

“There were many worthy stories, but this in-depth look into the crumbling health care infrastructure in your state needs to be highlighted,” the contest judges wrote. “A lot of work and research went into this.”

The judges added that the series “should be mandatory reading” for Alabama lawmakers.

Ivana Hrynkiw, an investigative reporter for AL.com, won first place for Best Public Service for Denied: Alabama’s broken parole system.

The reporting found that the Alabama parole board used to release most prisoners who were eligible. But under new leadership, paroles fell to 8% by 2023. That’s despite the board’s own guidelines suggesting more than 80% of prisoners should qualify for a second chance.

The series led to significant impact. The parole rate rose to 20% the month after the first article, and finished 2024 at 20%, according to state data. That comes out to roughly 250 more people getting out of prison last year than in 2023.

Lawmakers also held hearings and demanded answers, as prisoners featured on AL.com found lawyers or got new hearings that resulted in their release.

“There are talented people all across this newsroom, doing top notch work,” said Challen Stephens, acting vice president of news for AL.com. “And AL.com has also seen a wave of new reporters step up and embrace investigative reporting that makes a difference, that let’s Alabamians decide for themselves what’s working and what’s not in this state.”

Investigative reporter Hannah Denham won the first place award for Freedom of Information for her reporting about a deadly police shooting in Birmingham. A federal judge released the body camera footage to AL.com in response to a public records request from Denham.

“It’s rewarding to see this reporting from Savannah, Ivana and Hannah recognized because these stories resonated with Alabamians,” said Ashley Remkus, investigative editor at AL.com. “That’s why we do this work — because we care about Alabama.”

In this year’s state contest, 53 publications submitted 1,725 entries. The Michigan Press Association judged the entries.

AL.com competes in Division A for large newspaper outlets.

Here is the full list of awards AL.com took home:

Best Public Service

1st Place: Denied: Alabama’s broken parole system by Ivana Hrynkiw

2nd Place: Alabama’s pandemic unemployment fiasco by Sarah Whites-Koditschek

Freedom of Information-First Amendment

1st Place: “Bodycam shows deadly Birmingham police chase and shooting” by Hannah Denham

2nd Place: Library attacks by Williesha Morris, John Sharp and John Archibald

Best Sports Coverage

1st Place: Matt Stahl, Peter Rauterkus and Nick Kelly

Best Local Education Coverage

1st Place: Rebecca Griesbach and Alaina Bookman

Best Local News Coverage

1st Place: Kayode Crown, Joseph D. Bryant and Maggie Kates

Best Local Economic Coverage

2nd Place: Hannah Denham and John Sharp

Best Spot News Story

1st Place: “Alabama executes Kenneth Eugene Smith by new nitrogen gas method” by Ivana Hrynkiw

2nd Place: “‘None of you are pregnant’: Paid parental leave bill sparks emotions in Alabama Senate” by John Sharp

Best In-Depth News Coverage

1st Place: “Alabama’s health care deserts” by Savannah Tryens-Fernandes

2nd Place: “He’s been on death row for decades. Alabama ‘downplays’ DNA that points to someone else” by Ivana Hrynkiw

3rd Place: “It’s almost weed. And it’s taking Alabama by storm: A big human guinea pig experiment” by Amy Yurkanin, Challen Stephens

Best Business Story or Column

2nd Place: “The final decline of Birmingham-Southern College: New tax records show pattern of losing money” by Hannah Denham

3rd Place: “Why the union vote failed at Alabama’s Mercedes-Benz plant ” by William Thornton

Best Feature Story Coverage

1st Place: “Their parents died during COVID. Now, a Birmingham nonprofit is helping them out of homelessness” by Savannah Tryens-Fernandes

Best News Feature Story Coverage

1st Place: “Alabama girl, 11, dies by suicide: ‘Teach your kids to be kind,’ family

says” by Carol Robinson

2nd Place: “Can Five Points South recover after mass shooting?” by Greg Garrison

3rd Place: “‘I just held him and prayed,’ 16-year-old boy killed in Birmingham shooting died in parents’ arms” by Carol Robinson

Best Humorous Column

1st Place: “How Nick Saban drove me away from Bryant-Denny Stadium” by John Archibald

Best Human Interest Column

1st Place: “Who killed Daniel Williams? A tale of terror in Alabama prisons” by John Archibald

2nd Place: “We banned ‘divisive concepts.’ So, why do we still have Confederate holidays?” by Roy S. Johnson

Best Editorial Column or Commentary

1st Place: Roy S. Johnson

2nd Place: Kyle Whitmire

Best Sports News In-Depth Coverage

1st Place: “The complicated legacy of Birmingham’s white baseball legends” by

Creg Stephenson

3rd Place: “Boosters started a nonprofit to pay Alabama athletes millions. Now, it’s shutting down” by Hannah Denham

Best Sports Single Event Story

1st Place: “Inside Auburn’s 15-play, 74-yard drive to send the Texas A&M game to overtime” by Peter Rauterkus

Best Sports Feature Story

1st Place: “The story behind this Alabama basketball fan’s wild, scary journey to the Final Four ” by Bob Carlton

2nd Place: “Scenes from Tuscaloosa’s first full day after Nick Saban’s retirement ” by Matt Stahl

Best Local Sports Column

1st Place: “Nick Saban is the new face of an old scam” by Joseph Goodman

Best Feature Photo

1st Place: “Coates-Thornton reunion” by Tamika Moore

Best Use of Graphics or Illustrations

1st Place: “Life’s a process ” by JD Crowe, Joseph Goodman

2nd Place: “The Mount Rushmore of Alabama Barbecue” by Bob Carlton, J.D. Crowe

Best Headline

1st Place: “The genie is out of the bong in Alabama ” by Challen Stephens, John Archibald

2nd Place: “Gordon Ramsay fumes, hurls pork chop cooked by Alabama child: I messed up” by Mary Colurso, Ben Flanagan

3rd Place: “Man stuck in urn at Mountain Brook party loses pants, breaks expensive vase and Alabama Internet” by Howard Koplowitz, Jeremy Gray

Creative Use of Multimedia

1st Place: “Descendants of Alabama slaves reunite in old plantation house” by Bill Thornton, Tamika Moore, Amanda Khorramabadi

2nd Place: “The moment of truth for Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer” by Nick Kelly, Clay Yeager

3rd Place: “JD Crowe Cartoons” by JD Crowe

Online Breaking News Coverage

1st Place: “Alabama Supreme Court rules embryos are children, halting IVF” by staff

2nd Place: “Mass shooting at Hush lounge” by Carol Robinson, Hannah Denham, staff

Best Use of Social Media

1st Place: “If you could change one thing about Alabama…” by Tandra Smith, Monica Keener, Heather Gann

2nd Place: “Will legal marijuana ever come to Alabama?” by Monica Keener

3rd Place: “Youth homelessness in Alabama” by Monica Keener

Best Podcast Series

1st Place: “Down in Alabama” by Ike Morgan, John Hammontree

2nd Place: “Beat Everyone” by Ben Flanagan, John Hammontree, staff

Best Use of Video (Shorter than 2 minutes)

1st Place: “Denied: Alabama’s Broken Parole System trailer” by Amanda Khorramabadi, Ivana Hrynkiw

2nd Place: “Birmingham mass shooting” by Amanda Khorramabadi

3rd Place: “The two voices of Katie Britt” by Amanda Khorramabadi

Best Use of Video (Longer than 2 minutes)

1st Place: “Days and Hours Matter Here: Alabamians speak out against Alabama Supreme Court IVF ruling” by Anissa Latham-Brown, John Hammontree, Dawson Estes

2nd Place: “How one Alabama woman is getting people to the polls” by Amanda Khorramabadi

3rd Place: “Hush Lounge Shooting Arrest Reveals tragic links in 11 Homicides” by Anissa Latham-Brown

Best Community Event

1st Place: “AL.com 2nd Congressional District debate”